Slot Skipping Techniques for Reduced Power Consumption in Time Slotted Channel Hopping MAC Protocol

摘要

A device may be coupled to a time slot based communication system and receive a timing beacon packet that is broadcast in a time slot of the communication system at a periodic rate, in which the network uses a time slotted channel hopping protocol of sequential frames each having a plurality of time slots. The device may synchronize its time base to the timing beacon. The device may calculate a sleep time corresponding to a number of time slots until a next time slot that is scheduled for use by the device and then place the device in a sleep mode. The device may be awakened after the sleep time and operate during the next time slot. The device may repeat the process of calculating a sleep time, going into sleep mode, and waking for operation after the sleep time in order to reduce power consumption.

主权项

1. A method for operating a device in a time slot based communication network, the method comprising:
receiving a timing beacon packet that is broadcast in a time slot of the communication system at a periodic rate, in which the network uses a time slotted channel hopping protocol of sequential frames each having a plurality of time slots; synchronizing the device to timing beacon; calculating a sleep time corresponding to a number of time slots until a next time slot that is scheduled for use by the device and then placing the device in a sleep mode; waking the device at the expiration of the sleep time and operating the device in an awake mode during the next time slot; and repeating the steps of calculating a sleep time, going into sleep mode, and waking the device for operation in awake mode after the expiration of each sleep time.